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I cut her neck with cutlass for sacking me –Killer houseboy of Ogun retired magistrate

April 5, 2014 : Kunle Falayi

Idah | credits: Kunle Falayi

Sixty-five-year-old retired Chief Magistrate, Funmilayo Timeyin, would have hoped to live out her days off the bench in peace and relaxation. With no young child around the house, as all her children are grown up, she employed 21-year-old David Idah, a Benue State indigene, as housekeeper.

But from the moment she signed on the young man, a judgement seemed to have been passed on the magistrate’s fate.

With three cutlass blows to the neck around 6pm on Friday, March 28, 2014, the young man ended the life of the retired chief magistrate at a gated bungalow at Laderin Estate, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Our correspondent paid a visit to the Department of Criminal Investigation, where Idah was being held on Tuesday, and the young man gave surreal details of how he came to work as Timeyin’s house help and ended up killing her.

Idah, who said he dropped out of school in Primary Six when he was living with a relation in Osogbo, Osun State, had bloodshot eyes when he was brought out of the cell by the investigating police officer attached to the case.

But when he began to speak, he neither minced words nor stuttered as he narrated what led him to kill the magistrate.

Idah said, “I came to Abeokuta from Lagos this January. I was working in a Calabar Kitchen in Ojodu-Berger (Lagos) before I lost the job. I was both a cook and a waiter there.

“I was living with my sister in Lagos but we quarrelled. She was the one who got the for me job and I was being paid N12,000. Initially, I was spending N2,000 monthly out of the money and saving N10,000 with her.

“But she later complained that I was keeping late nights, sleeping out and spending all my money without saving any with her again. I worked in the restaurant for seven months but when I became fed up with my sister’s complaints, I called a friend who works in Abeokuta here and I told him I did not like the job I was doing in Lagos and he advised me to come to Abeokuta.”

When Idah got to Abeokuta in January, he said it did not take long before he was connected with someone who arranges domestic helps for those who need them and he was told he would work in Timeyin’s house.

He said the retired chief magistrate took him in and put him on a N10,000 salary per month.

“I initially liked the job but later, the woman, who was nice to me before, changed. I started getting tired of the job,” Idah said.

Asked what he did that made his boss to change her attitude towards him, he said, “She accused me of behaving badly. And I did nothing wrong. She would call the person who connected me to her and complain all the time.”

But when our correspondent asked Idah if he was merely ‘accused’ of behaving badly or actually doing something wrong like stealing from Timeyin, Idah paused for a while.

Then after a long pause, he said “Well, I stole some things because she was maltreating me. I stole two mobile phones, DVD player and speakers, perfume, wrist watches, three trousers and four shirts belonging to her son.

“I planned to sell them. She did not pay me my salary. I wanted to sell those things and use the money to leave. But she discovered that I stole them and handed me over to the police.”

Saturday PUNCH learnt that soon after, the police informed Timeyin that the young man would be charged to court. She pleaded with the police to release Idah but disengaged him from her employ.

However, a few days after Idah was released from custody, he decided to pay a last visit to his former boss’ house.

He told Saturday PUNCH, “After I was released by the police, I realised I still had some of my things at mama’s (deceased’s) house. I went to the house in the evening and placed a ladder on the fence.

“I jumped into the compound and took the cutlass I used in the house to cut grass. I laid an ambush in and waited till she came out of the house. When she came out, I hit her on the neck with the cutlass, I hit her again and again because I was angry.

“I only hit her three times. She was screaming and that attracted the neighbours. She was shouting ‘help, help!’, so I dropped the cutlass and jumped over the fence. I hid in the bush behind the house.

“Some neighbours who rushed inside and saw her quickly told other neighbours and the vigilante in the area to surround the bush. They were about 25 people. They sighted me in the bush where I hid and got hold of me while I was trying to escape.”

After Idah was overpowered by the vigilante in the area, he was promptly secured with a rope while they notified the police.

“I did not even think of the consequences while I was hitting her, I was just angry with the woman,” Idah said.

Efforts to save Timeyin were futile. She died before she could get to the hospital.

But the Police Public Relations Officer of the state command, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, told Saturday PUNCH that the young man was being economical with the truth when he said he was being maltreated by the retired magistrate and that she did not pay him what was due to him.

He said, “When the woman went to plead with the police to release him, she was even preaching to him, telling him that he should change his ways so that he could be successful in life.

“The woman herself wrote a letter of withdrawal to the police. She said she did not want him tried. She was just a peaceful woman who did not want to compound the suspect’s woes. But she disengaged him there and then.”

Adejobi said Idah, whose parents currently live in Benue State, would be charged to court soon.

“Even though it is a clear case, the police would perfect the investigation so that his prosecution would run without hitches. We have enough evidence to charge him with murder,” he said.

However, our correspondent also paid a visit to the Laderin Estate home of the deceased; a quiet neighbourhood lined by bungalows.

A man who opened the gate identified himself as Olumide, the deceased’s son but he promptly declined speaking on anything relating to the case or the life of his mother.

Olumide was said to have been one of the first people to get to the scene of the crime. He was said to have gone out but came back shortly after his mother was given the killer blows.

However, Idah was charged to court on Friday on one count of murder, three days after Saturday PUNCH spoke with him. He was remanded in prison by an Abeokuta Magistrate’s Court while his case was referred to the Directorate of Public Prosecution for advice.

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May her gentle soul rest in peace amen. Is about time to reconsider the way we treat our servants. How can a person of her standing agree to pay N10,000 a month to an adult at this age and time? Sometimes the love for ourselves causes us problems.

bouche

So how much wld she have paid him-50k?? Some companies are paying garduates N10000! Dis generous woman still paid a pry six drop out 10k, acoomodated him freely, fed him… How much do you pay ur own gateman, driver or househelp???

Obomni,

Do not mind them.

Otitokoro-ButSayIt

U may consider the pay too low, but let’s analyse it very well. If the boy was accommodated and fed, outside the 10k, then, I don’t consider that low. Many university graduates teaching in private schools in Lagos, even in govt schs dont get above 30k. Out of this amount, take accommodation, feeding and transport out of it. U will know it’snot TOO small for a primary-six dropout.

Gideon

God bless U. It’s so surprising that some of the people who commented earlier are just as evil as the this bad boy. An old woman employed him and gave him 10,000 a month, only for him to kill the woman, and some of you are justifying and rationalising the evil act of the boy. Was he forced to take the job? If he wasn’t satisfied with the job, why didn’t he resign? was that enough reason to steal and to go ahead and kill? The old woman even ensured that the boy was released the first time they arrested him, so what more did you expect her to do? It is very clear that those of you who gave stupid reasons to justify this boy’s actions would have done the same if U were in his situation. May God deliver you from your evil ways, you children of satan.

ken

The woman did not force him to accept the pay . He left 12000 to accept 10000 . The man is just a wicked soul .

Candid View

Period !

Obomni,

You have said it all.

Candid View

This is the result of bankrupt family and moral value in our society today.
The poor old woman who is suppose to be enjoying that rest of her days on earth in peace, after serving her fathers land meritoriously died untimely the hand of an ingrate and barbaric young man .
I wish the family of the victim the fortitude to bear the irreparable lost.

Denis_NG

Why is there so much evil in Nigeria?? Why are people this wicked, from the leaders to the led, from the alter to the congregants. Wickedness pervades the land!! There is no single day that lives are not lost in the most unnatural and diabolical way. It is a pity indeed!

oh yes

Injustice anywhere is a treat to justice everywhere. Some of this judges and magistrates have a way of treating poor people without remembering God but when they saw a rich politician they will be silence with the truth and collect their own share. God has a way of paying people, who knows. may her soul rest in peace.

omo 9ja

You struggled to write two lines and one can’t still understand your drift here and there. Which share are you talking about!

solomon

The dead judge was very wicked for paying 10k monthly salary.

The boy was from the devil den not fit to be a human being, they are two evil creatures who met themselves at wrong point in life.

Candid View

How much would you have pay a primary school drop out, that feed and given accommodation by you. Beside, he voluntarily accepted the offer it was not force on him. Even, if he was forced, does that justify him hacking her down as if she is a game.

Obomni,

How much was her pension? Mind you, she was also feeding and accommodating him. When you employ your own, pay him or her more than your income. Mr kind man.

JUSTICE

Please don’t speak of the death like that, it is evil of the boy to carry out such a devilish act. If he feels the salary is not enough he should quit the job instead of taking her life.

Justice

The boy lived with his sister in Lagos and quarrelled with her. He worked in a restaurant where he was paid N12000 but lost the job. His sister complained that he was keeping late nights, sleeping out and no longer saving any money. So he went to Abeokuta where the Retired Judge took him in. She fed him, accommodated him, gave him clothes and paid him N10000. At the beginning, she liked him, but after a while, she began to realise the kind of person he was and didn’t like him that much anymore. Then he robbed her of her belongings and was arrested. Still, she said the Police should not prosecute him and let him go peacefully. Then he came back two weeks later, broke into her house, filed a cutlass with a stone and killed her deliberately! So if someone was underpaying you, what you do is either rob the person or kill them? Someone who had fed, accommodated and clothed you for over two months? Ha! I don’t understand that one. Can you not just simply take your salary at the end of the month and walk away? Some qualified lawyers are paid N40000 to N50,000 per month and they don’t go out to kill their Principals. This boy is just devil-possessed. Maybe the late Judge should have allowed the Police to prosecute him so he would be incarcerated for 2-3 years. Forgiveness from her, unforgiveness from him. What a devil!

amosa tayo ismaila

The woman as a mother, try in her own little way to accommodate and care for a needy Nigerian who she thought need an honest job. Not knowing, she was bringing into her home a merchant of death that will give an ends to her meritorious life.The woman die as a hero, from an ingrate and evils re incarnate who she tried to put food on his table.May her gentle soul rest in perfect peace amin

Akinola Eyinfunjowo

Mr Oh Yes, you are Oh No! All you wrote is nonsense. How do you know the late magistrate is/may be bad? I wonder how most of the commentators rationalise premeditated evil deed. The facts from Idah’s own words clearly shown him as one of the undesirable elements that makes thinking men to question the wisdom of God in creating man/the world and even doubt His existence. Thanks that the late woman wanted the best for the bad man whom she could have allowed to go to jail for theft but for motherly concern which led her to bailing him out of the hook. May her soul be in joyful activities. My prayers and thought to her survivors.

Eyitayo King

Big questions? where are we heading as a people? where is our morals? culture? communal relationship? can we say Sodom and Gomorrah are not better than we are now? we keep coming up with jaw dropping eye popping vices, yet we say there are no works/jobs. If these people can think of this vice, am sure they can think up something good to better the society they live in.

JUSTICE

Brothers and sisters what is happening in our country ……… the level of atrocity is unbrlievable

Hellisreal

Make the police help me kill this devil boy..pls pls pls…kill him nw..nw pls…death by hanging or any other way..but just kill him nw..The deceased was just too kind to have died in that manner…I feel so sad and angered. May God give the family the fortitude to bare the loss..

Columnists

"Mr Orubebe, you are former minister of the Federal Republic, you are a statesman in your own right and you must be careful about what you say and about the allegations or accusations that you make and certainly you must be careful about your public conducts."

INEC's Chairman, Attairu Jega cautioning Orubebe over his conduct during the release of the Presidential election results.